[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #215: E-book ownership

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OPLIN 4Cast

OPLIN 4Cast #215: E-book ownership
February 2nd, 2011

<http://www.oplin.org/4cast/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/mine.png>Last 
week there were several interesting postings on the Internet 
about the notion of "owning" e-books. We've mentioned 
<http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?p=1469> e-book DRM 
issues in this blog before, but last week's discussion went 
beyond the day-to-day headaches of dealing with e-book DRM 
to investigating deeper meanings of the current e-book 
"ownership" explosion. Is there any need or merit to owning 
an e-book in the same manner that we can own a paper-based 
book? Can the concept of loaning books apply to something 
non-physical like an e-book? Which, of course, is food for 
thought for libraries...

    * The value of ownership and ebooks
      <http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2011/01/23/the-value-of-ownership-and-ebooks/>
      (Dear Author/Jane Little/1-23-2011) "Currently digital
      books are considered leases rather than true sales. If
      a sale occurred, a reader would be entitled to the
      rights under the first sale doctrine: resale, trade,
      loan. Additionally, the question of whether a reader
      would be able to bequeath her digital library if she
      passes on to her descendants (like a daughter or
      granddaughter) hasn't been addressed as the term of
      the lease hasn't been challenged in court."
    * The downward spiral of ownership and value
      <http://www.librarything.com/blogs/thingology/2011/01/ebooks-the-downward-spiral-of-ownership-and-value/>
      (Thingology/Tim Spalding/1-24-2011) "If the Kindle had
      debuted with an access-based 'faucet' model, it would
      have failed. Consumers would not have traded true
      ownership for a tethered, metered and monitored
      product. But we'll get there soon enough, as each step
      away from ownership makes the next step more
      acceptable. Once you realize your Kindle book is not
      fully yours, you'll accept it being mostly not yours."
    * Does the ebook mean the end of ownership?
      <http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/shanerichmond/100006222/does-the-ebook-mean-the-end-of-ownership/>
      (The Telegraph/Shane Richmond/1-25-2011) "An awful lot
      of book buyers don't care about ownership in the first
      place. They're the ones who are happy picking up any
      old title in the airport bookshop and then leaving it
      behind on the way home because it won't fit in their
      luggage. Those people will take to ebooks with nary a
      peep and simply making them feel like they 'own' their
      books will make little difference."
    * What if a book is just a URL?
      <http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/01/books-cloud-access.html>
      (O'Reilly Radar/Jenn Webb/1-26-2011) "All you need to
      use Booki.sh is a web browser --- you sign in and read
      your books. There's no software or files to download,
      just complete no-muss no-fuss access to your books.
      You don't own your books in the traditional sense ---
      you own the rights to access them."

*/Comments fact:/*

So far, these four postings have gathered over 130 (often 
lengthy) comments.
------------------------------------------------------------
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